Website to carry forward Netaji legacy

Kolkata: People across the globe can now get a new insight into the lives of nationalist leaders Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and his brother Sarat Chandra Bose thanks to a new website that has a new and extensive archive on their lives and works.

The website, www.theboselegacy.com, containing writings, speeches, prison notes and jottings, diary entries, private correspondence, photographs, audio recordings and video films of the Bose brothers, was on Friday launched by former Supreme Court justice AK Ganguly and former West Bengal advocate general Naranarayan Gooptu.

With most of its material drawn from the personal collection of Sarat Chandra Bose's son Amiya Nath Bose, the website is a handiwork of Netaji descendants who have been campaigning for declassification of secret files on the nationalist leader.

Besides, a plethora of hitherto unpublished materials, the website also features original Bengali translations of two books by Netaji-Mukti Sangram (the Indian struggle) and Bharat Pathik (India pilgrim), whose cover was designed by legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray.

"The website would be an effective medium to disseminate the contributions of Bose brothers towards India's freedom struggle and its development as a democracy. With many documents pertaining to Netaji remaining classified, I hope, the website will acquire immense significance providing people across the world, a new insight into the lives and works of the Bose brothers," Gooptu said, launching the website.

Observing the Netaji's ideals and principles of democracy and social justice continue to be relevant in today's world, Ganguly, the former chairperson of the West Bengal Human Rights commission expressed concern over the ruling class attempts to curb the people's freedom of expression.

"While the constitution stands for the freedom of expression, there have been increasing instances when the ruling class has tried to snatch the people's freedom of expression. In states like West Bengal and other parts of the country, the ruling class often ensures that dissenting voices are gagged," said Ganguly.

Ganguly also observed that despite India's several decades of freedom, it was "yet to become a socialist country".